


And just like that he knew

by TheShhhSpot



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Fluffy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 11:38:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15412095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShhhSpot/pseuds/TheShhhSpot
Summary: Soulmate AU where your soulmate's name appears on your right wrist (Left if you are left handed) and your greatest nemesis' name appears on your left one.Daniel doesn’t remember when he started loving Sebastian. He just knows that when he realized he did, he stopped caring about who’s name would appear on his right wrist until it was too much to bear.





	And just like that he knew

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dr3amingInColour](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr3amingInColour/gifts).



> I was inspired by the song "I'm In Love" by Kygo. I really hope you like it!

Daniel doesn’t remember when he started loving Sebastian. It just happened. The German just arrived into his life and started laughing at his bad jokes. Sebastian gave him hugs when he felt sad and smiled with him when he felt happy, they would go out to have dinner most race weekends and they would go hiking together on breaks. Sometimes they spent hours talking about everything and nothing until suddenly, when Sebastian laughed with him, cried with him or trusted him enough to talk about why he wasn’t having a good day, Daniel felt like he was the luckiest person in the world. And just like that he knew.

Daniel doesn’t remember when he started loving Sebastian, but he knows that when he realized he did, he stopped caring about who’s name would appear on his right wrist, he didn’t even care if he got a name at all instead of the horizontal line everybody had before they found out who their soulmate was, because Daniel was sure he had found him and his name was Sebastian Vettel.  
And yet, since he realized he loved Sebastian he had never quite gotten close to even talking to the German about it, or to anyone for that matter, in fact, the only other person that knew about his “raging crush” was Max (he was the one who had called it “raging crush”), and he only found out because back in Hungary, 2017, on a race weekend, Daniel was sure he had lost all hope of ever even thinking about kissing the German, let alone telling him about his feelings.

That weekend Daniel and Max had arrived at their hotel before schedule and all Daniel wanted to do was fall face first on his bed. It was the first weekend after many that he had two hours of spare time before his media commitments started, it was perfect... and of course, Max was hungry.  
There was a fancy looking restaurant inside the hotel besides the lounge area, where Max convinced him to join him for a quick meal. Daniel appreciated his free time way too much to feel bad about not joining him, but he also didn’t think sleeping at that hour was the smartest idea.  
“The weekend hasn’t even started and you want to have a cheat meal already?”, Daniel gave Max a disapproving look that quickly turned into a grin. Max just rolled his eyes. “I know how to eat, Daniel” He said dragging his suitcase with him, Daniel laughed and followed him.  
He could see Max’s tattoo on his right wrist as he neatly covered it up with a thick silver bracelet before they entered the restaurant, he also covered his left wrist, even when Daniel knew there was no name there, just a horizontal line. 

Most people didn’t get their second tattoo, that name was reserved for that person who would be your life’s biggest nemesis, to Daniel it sounded ridiculous because, as a racing driver, how could you know who your greatest enemy was? but then again, the concept of a soulmate could sound strange if he thought about it, Daniel decided not to give too much thought to it, it was as it was, besides he had only seen other drivers, athletes and famous politicians get the second name on their left wrist (or right wrist if they were left handed).  
Sebastian had always covered both of his wrists with leather bracelets that to Daniel resembled a lot to those worn by Michael Schumacher and later by Mick, his son. Daniel didn’t cover his up, he didn’t mind people knowing he still had no name on his wrist, he wasn’t as secretive and as private as Sebastian or Max in those matters, although Daniel was sure it was Jos who kept Max from uncovering both his wrists. Daniel knew that if it was Max’s decision, he would proudly show the world the Spanish name engraved on his right wrist.

He stopped thinking about soulmates and focused on the restaurant’s layout. It looked well-lit and there was a balcony near the bar where he could spot a comfortable-looking couch. It looked like the perfect spot to do nothing but relax until his media commitments. Daniel approached the spot besides Max, suddenly the thought of fruit slices didn’t sound like a bad idea, maybe he could even have a drink…and then he saw Sebastian talking hand in hand with a girl.

She was beautiful, with a pretty smile, blonde long hair and blue eyes, she was vividly talking in German to Sebastian who seemed very happy to be talking to her too. Daniel felt like someone had punched him in the stomach and slapped him at the same time. He had to get out of there fast.  
He quickly disappeared through the door before Max even noticed. The Dutchman found him crying on his hotel bed thirty minutes later and after accepting the bottle of water Max offered him, Daniel told him everything. He told Max about how he felt so scared that Sebastian would find his soulmate, about how he wanted to tell him but was too much of a coward to, he told Max about his fear of waking up with someone else’s name engraved on his right wrist, someone other than Sebastian, what would he do then? Would he be able to find that person and tell them he loved them the same way he wished he could tell the German? Daniel talked until he felt tired and a headache stared to appear, Max stayed silent, comforting him. A year later, Daniel still remembers his exact words... 

Max breathed deeply, he looked like he genuinely understood “I think that if you feel something towards someone, you should tell them. Two things can happen, either they say no, or they say yes. If they say no, well then you know, and you tried. And if they say yes, well… then they said yes” Max made it sound so easy, but the real world was far more complicated than that.  
Daniel shook his head and gave him a bitter laugh. “Max, come on, what do you think is going to happen, do you think he just won’t care about faith? Do you think he will just leave whoever his soulmate is and say yes? Hell, I don’t even think he is single Max, that girl, she looked so perfect, I can’t ruin that, I don’t think I could bear the thought of telling him and have him walk away, I can’t” Daniel shook his head and felt more tears roll down his cheeks “I am so selfish, if I truly loved him I would be happy for him” He was expecting Max to agree with him, instead, the younger man, moved to sit down next to him on the bed and carefully removed his right bracelet. “Love can be selfish Dan, like, you are not selfish with their happiness, neither are you selfish with their freedom, but I know how it feels like to look at them and be scared of not being able to tell them how much you love them” Daniel had never heard Max talk like that, he turned to him and was met with a kind smile.  
“All I’m saying is don’t let it be too late Dan”. 

Later Sebastian would introduce them to Hanna, a childhood friend who had come to Hungary with her girlfriend to invite Sebastian to their wedding that year on July. If Sebastian noticed that Daniel was acting more cheerful and exited than usual to the news he did not say a thing. Max did though, he laughed at Daniel’s face for ten minutes, but in his defense, he did offered him a chocolate bar after that. 

 

Since then, Daniel had decided he couldn’t waste more time, no matter what fate had in store for him, no matter if he woke up to a different name on his wrist, he needed to tell Sebastian.  
That was maybe why, when pain on his right arm woke him up, Daniel sprinted to the bathroom of the hotel he was staying at for the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, almost tripping on his suitcase and discarded shoes. He momentarily scolded himself for not arranging his stuff before going to bed but the thought was quickly forgotten when the pain started feeling like a thousand needles were being pressed against his skin.  
He quickly grabbed a towel and dripped cold water on his reddening wrist, when he saw the black letters start to appear he covered them up with the towel feeling both excited and scared to see the name there. Who could it be? Will he like who it was? Could it be...no, he didn’t think it was possible, that Sebastian was his soulmate…but he wanted him to be. And suddenly he couldn’t bear the possible fact that the name on his wrist was not that of his German ex-teammate. He quickly draped his hand on the towel and went to sit by his bed. He stared for minutes at the spot where he knew the name would be, now hidden by the white hotel towel, even after it stopped hurting, even after the pain became an itch and then nothing. He thought about falling asleep and looking at the name in the morning, but after trying and rolling three times on the bed he decided he couldn’t wait any longer and threw the towel away, finally looking at his wrist.  
Daniel felt as if his heart had suddenly stopped after beating too hard. There on his right wrist were two words. Two words that made him feel the same happiness he felt when he stood on the podium. He was sure he had stopped breathing. There on his right wrist, instead of a horizontal line it read “Sebastian Vettel”.

 

“I am talking to him after the race” He told Max, who looked at Daniel’s wrist with a wide smile.  
“That is so cool! See, and you were sulking about it just a few weeks ago” The Dutchman said as he drank from his bottle of water, the weather was not as hot as Malaysia but hot enough for Daniel to wonder how had none of them ever passed out after a race.  
“I am a little scared though, I mean, we have been friends for so long, what if he just wants to be friends, what if I am pushing this?” He turned to Max who looked at him with an unbelieving stare. “You are joking? It’s written on your wrist! Come on, Daniel! Even I have noticed you are the only one Sebastian talks to every race weekend, besides when he looks at you he looks like he just found a piece of cake or something” Daniel laughed. “Because I’m delicious and irresistible?” Daniel said trying to wiggle his eyebrows and clearly failing.  
“No, because cake is…” Max started and when he couldn’t find a sarcastic response he threw his towel at Daniel “oh shut up, you know what I mean”  
That was it then, he would talk to Sebastian after the race.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was always a tricky one, in the end, neither of the Red bulls ended up on the podium and Daniel was upset. He took his helmet off and strolled to the driver’s room to get weighted when he spotted Sebastian. “Daniel! Hey, that was a curious one, wasn’t it?” He greeted him, a smile on the German’s face. Daniel groaned as he got on the scale. “Talk to me about it!”. He got off after the marshal scribbled the numbers down on his notebook and followed Sebastian out. This was it then, he was going to tell him. Sebastian was telling him something about wanting to eat a whole steak when Daniel felt a strong pain on his left wrist. He must have made a grimace because Sebastian stopped talking and now was staring at him with a worried look on his face. “Daniel? Are you okay?” He asked and went to grab his arm and Daniel cried out in pain. “Daniel!” Sebastian yelled, and very carefully tried to get the Aussie to sit down, there was no one in sight. “We need to call the medical team” He said and upon hearing no answer from the brunette he started panicking even more “Daniel talk to me!” He demanded. Daniel was trying to take off his racing overalls, just enough to uncover his left arm, the pain was deep, like nothing he had ever experienced, was this his other tattoo? Why did it feel like the skin on his wrist was being peeled off? He managed to lift his fireproof underwear enough to see the black name start to appear and when it did, he felt like he couldn’t breathe and Sebastian who laid next to him gasped “No, this can’t be”.

 

Daniel’s brain was trying to make sense of the situation, maybe he was left handed all along? No, it wouldn’t make sense anyways because…because…what did it mean? What…  
Left handed... Senna was left handed, and Daniel sometimes wondered if he had Prost’s name on his right wrist, maybe he also had had Alain’s name on his right one or perhaps it had always been on his left wrist and the word “death” on his right. After all, hadn't that been his greatest enemy in the end?  
He had seen most drivers sporting the usual horizontal line that everyone has before they get their soulmate’s name and eventually if they have one, their nemesis name.  
Daniel knows that Lewis has both tattoos, he hasn’t seen them perfectly, since the Brit hides them beneath gold bracelets but he is sure Nico’s name is written on his right hand. He also knows that Vivian has Nico’s name on his right wrist. He’s never seen Nico’s uncovered wrists, though.  
Romain displays his wife’s name on his right wrist proudly and Valtteri is always happy to show Emilia’s name beautifully written on his right wrist too. It makes sense. What does this mean, then?  
Marcus has no tattoo nor horizontal line on either of his wrists. He is the only driver he’s ever heard of that doesn’t have one, actually, he is the only person Daniel knows or has ever heard of that seems to have no soulmate...Then, what does this mean?... He can feel himself start to get dizzy.... He asked Marcus once if he didn’t feel sad about it, Marcus had shrugged and replied with his usual cheerfulness that he already had enough love to feel sad about not having something on his wrist. Daniel doesn't think he could bear it. How could someone live knowing there is no one to love them?... Right in that moment, Daniel wished he didn’t have a name on his wrist, he wished he could go back to having a horizontal line there. Daniel felt dread, he couldn’t understand what this meant. The name of the man he loved, the same name that was tattooed on his right wrist, mirrored the one on his left one. 

 

He must've stared for too long at his left wrist, Daniel thinks, because now there was not only Sebastian there with him but also two marshals.  
“Do you need us to call the medical team?” One of them offered. Daniel shook his head and stood up along with Sebastian. “No, I’m fine, I just need to get to my motorhome”  
“I’ll take him there, thank you” Sebastian said taking his hand. Daniel felt emotion rush to his chest while he also felt a pang of dread. Both marshals nodded and walked away as both drivers started walking to the Red Bull motorhome.  
Staff stared, mechanics looked at them carefully as Sebastian turned his head away and tried looking at his racing boots as they walked, Daniel laughed quietly. “Don’t worry I’ll tell them you don’t want to steal our secrets” Sebastian laughed and shook his head “Shhh, they might know my evil plans”  
They got to Daniel’s room. It was a little bit of a mess in his opinion, but only because he left his clothes out on the couch to change quickly after the race. Sebastian sat down next to Daniel and they stayed quiet for a while until Sebastian spoke.  
“I have your name on my right wrist” he took the leather bracelet off. “I’ve had it for a year now, but I think I have known before that” Daniel stared at him. He wanted to feel anger at the revelation, but he only felt fear that mixed with the dread was only useful to make him feel nauseous. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Daniel asked carefully.   
The German turned to him and his eyes were red. “Because, I couldn’t…Daniel, you need to understand, I love you Daniel, but…” So, Sebastian didn’t want to be with him. Daniel felt tears rush to his eyes. It was okay, he could understand…could he?  
“What is it? Did you find someone else?” Daniel needed to know.  
“What? No!” Sebastian replied immediately, holding Daniel’s hand. He felt confused, even more so than before. “I just couldn’t let you be hurt”  
“Sebastian, I don’t understand, I have loved you for so long, I just don’t…” Sebastian kissed him then. So tenderly and so quick Daniel barely had time to register it had happened. But it was enough for Daniel to feel his heart stop. Sebastian took the bracelet off his left wrist, and there it was, Daniel’s name in dark letters.  
“I don’t know what it means, but I don’t want it to hurt you Daniel” Daniel, looked at the tattoo. He grabbed both the German wrists with his hands and traced the letters on them. He looked at his name there and then back at his own wrists where Sebastian’s name was.  
Suddenly it made perfect sense.  
"And now you also have my name and both your wrists and I'm scared that-"  
"Sebastian" Daniel interrupted him. “When I was little my mom told me that my grandmother refused to marry this guy her parents wanted her to, she wanted to wait for her soulmate” He told the German. “But that mate was really wealthy and what not. The name suddenly appeared on her left wrist, she was right handed. She hated him. Until she didn’t. The guy loved her with all his being. The name appeared on her right wrist one year later, on their anniversary”  
He looked up to Sebastian, the German was looking at him like he was not sure if he needed to call a medical team in case Daniel was having a stroke. “What? Dan— “. He shook his head. “What? What does this…oh” Yes, it had to be, it made sense now.  
Sebastian took his hands, and leaned closer. “Do you love me Sebastian?” Daniel asked, aware of the little distance between them.  
“With everything I am, I always have” Daniel broke into a grin.  
“Then kiss me”  
Sebastian did and suddenly nothing else mattered. It was just the both of them, finally together. Daniel’s hand was on the back of Sebastian neck and Sebastian’s tongue was licking his lips and he didn’t want it to end. The pain came as a surprise, but when he looked down there was only a red spot on his left wrist and the traces of a horizontal line. “Ouch!” Sebastian moaned and lifted his left hand, inspecting it closely, Daniel's name had disappeared and it looked just like Daniel's wrist. “What? Why?” Daniel laughed.  
“I guess faith was just tired of us running away from each other”. Sebastian stared at him, face serious and then he broke into a laughing fit. Daniel couldn’t help but laugh too, the pain and stress leaving his body. They laughed until Daniel felt tears rolling down his cheeks and yet he felt way too happy to wipe them away. Sebastian did though, just before kissing him again. “I’m so happy right now, I don’t think I have ever been happier” He said and Daniel kissed him again. “Me too”. Everything could wait, right then he didn’t care, Helmut Marko could be out of his room trying to tear his door down and his car could be eaten by a wild bear and he wouldn’t have cared because he, right there, next to Sebastian, had everything he needed. “I love you” Sebastian whispered to him as he held him and Daniel knew that he was indeed the luckiest person in the world.


End file.
